Manhunt: Brotherhood
by melvick462
Summary: My take on the multiplayer characters of Brotherhood. Sebastian West is a pickpocket in the grand Big Apple. He is asked to go to Abstergo, where he's promised to earn riches beyond measure. Without hesitation, Sebastian takes the job. He'd heard of Abstergo before and the device that could access memories of your ancestors. What he doesn't know are Abstergo's true intentions...
1. Chapter 1

"Templar, you're here." there was a hesitation, "Welcome to Abstergo Industries, Sebastian West." The black car pulled forward further as two metal gates squeaked open ahead of them. Sebastian West poked his head between the driver and passenger seats to see a large facility, looking like any normal factory. However, Sebastian had been told that it was definitely not normal. That excited him.

This job opportunity was not normal. The only few things that had been explained to him was that he would 'go into the memory of people of the past'. It had been hard to believe.

 _What kind of technology could access something so private about a person?_ Sebastian thought as the car pulled slowly into a garage. It rode to a halt and the driver and Sebastian exited the car. A young man came up to him.

"Welcome, Mr. West." he greeted. "Right this way." Sebastian followed without hesitation. He was eager to see the device that would send him into the past. Were there others doing this? Even though the answers weren't clear, he was getting paid, and that's all he needed to know.

The assistant led him into a large circular room with fourteen structures similar to a bed spread across the room. Mr. West stared strangely at them, then looked to an office where two people seemed to be having an argument. Once they noticed him watching, one of them, the blonde girl exited into a different direction. The man came out in his direction.

"You must be Sebastian. Welcome to Abstergo. I'm Warren Vidic, head of power here." he said.

"A pleasure, Mr. Vidic." he replied, shaking the director's hand.

"We're only waiting for two more." he smiled, leading Sebastian into a large meeting room. There were eleven others sitting around a large table. All eyes shifted to Sebastian. He stood awkwardly then moved to an empty seat next to a rather wealthy looking man with a rather rat like face structure. He immediately regretted choosing the nearest seat as the man continued to eyeball him.

As fifteen minutes passed, the other two arrived. An ordinary looking girl, then an eccentric man, probably from Germany, came waltzing in. The girl sat across the table and Germany sat next to Sebastian, gave him a wink and turned to study the others at the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Warren Vidic spoke up, "my apologies for the wait, but we have now all arrived. Let us begin."

Sebastian gazed at the others, they all seemed to come from completely different worlds. He was amazed that Vidic had been successful in getting all of them to come. They were probably all from fourteen different countries. Either way, they were gathered for a specific reason that Sebastian desperately wanted know.

"Why don't we have an introduction?" Vidic suggested. The group shifted restlessly, not wanting to give away their identities to untrustworthy strangers. "After all, you'll want to get to know each other. You'll be together for a while." Sebastian glanced at Vidic, noticing a hint of something evil in his gaze.

"I'll go first!" the German stood up, his accent thick. "I am Fritz Adler. I work in the government."

"Thank you, Fritz! You next." Warren waved a hand at Sebastian who froze. He looked around and stood up, his jacket slipping off his shoulder.

"I'm Sebastian. Sebastian West. I don't have a job…" he muttered, pulling his fallen article of clothing back up. He'd completely lied of course, he didn't really want to tell them of his real occupation. He sat back down and Warren made his way around the circle. Next to Sebastian was Lucius, the wiry rich guy. Next to him, Ambrose, a wealthy heir to her father's company. Then Valentina, the small street performer. Julian, the wry and mysterious business owner. After him came Patrick, the intimidating wrestler who took up the space of Finn, the engineering professor who gave him his coldest glare. The disgruntled detective Steven glanced from Orlando, the professional game hunter to Melissa, the ordinary girl. Then there were the last two, Silas, the college student and Kingston the built mechanic from New York.

"Great!" Vidic exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Now, if you'll follow me!" he led the disorganized group outside of the room. He stopped behind one of the beds and put his hands on it. Then he began to explain the best part, what it was.

"This, my friends is the Animus. This can access the memories of your earliest ancestors." he smiled, "All of you will go in it." Sebastian smiled. Others gasped. A few chuckled as if a mission had gone successful. "I have a mission for you all. Once you go in, your ancestors will either be enemies or they will be friends. There is a race for an unknown location between the two teams. Abstergo's goal is to find out where this location is. Your ancestors will show you." With that, Warren Vidic left the room and the fourteen were left astonished.

"Well, what now?" the professor, Finn, said aloud.

"Do we… do something with this Animus?" Silas muttered.

"I seriously doubt it. I mean, what else did Vidic show us?" Orlando snapped sarcastically.

"My apologies for the delay, everyone." the boy assistant walked in again, looking rather rattled, "Who would like to get into the Animus first?"

"You say it like we don't have a choice." Patrick chuckled, "I could easily break out of here if you put me against my will." The assistant gulped nervously.

"The only thing I can say is that you'll be payed handsomely if you do this." a bead of sweat trickled down his brow. He obviously hadn't done this kind of introduction before. Melissa pushed through the group.

"I'll go." her voice was light as she made her way over to the assistant. She obviously didn't want to do anything against her will, but for money, it seemed rational. The assistant smiled as she made her way to the Animus. She layed down and a small screen protruded from one side of the headrest, climbed over her head and clicked into another slot on the other side. Within a few minutes, Melissa was sleeping.

"See, it's simple enough." the assistant said. "Quickly now, we don't want her to be alone.

"Wait, if all of our ancestors are involved in this, why do all of us need to get in the Animus?" Sebastian spoke up. The assistant smiled, this time it seemed rather menacing.

"Because, Mr. West, we don't know who makes it through this fight." he replied. Sebastian stepped back, rather startled. People were going to die?

"Who's next?"

With that, they all got in their separate Animus. It was the strangest feeling to Sebastian. Like getting a cavity filled, spacey, floating then darkness.

Sweat dripped down his face. It drenched the thin tunic he wore. He breathed heavily, gasping for air. Was that blood on his shirt? A rip of pain tore down his arm. A yell escaped his mouth.

"What do you want from me?" he shouted, giving in after a long night of torture.

"It's simple, messere. We want you to join our cause." a cold voice was right next to his ear.

"What's in it for me?" he replied.

"Fortune, money, many other privileges in our empire. And that's only part of it, highwayman." the voice said. The chained man took a moment to consider his offer.

"And if I don't?"

"You will be sent free, and then captured for your crimes by the Borgia's guard and sent to prison." he explained, running the flat of his blade along the chained man's stubbled jawline.

"What is with this current torture?" his glassy eyes looked up at the other man.

"It's only to make sure you cooperate, Lanz. We're done now and you will be tended to." Cesare Borgia smiled down at him.

The next few days he healed. He'd gained new scars on his arm and side. He had no clue why he was deciding to trust the Borgia. He was a lying deceitful man. However, Lanz had no motive but fortune. There was no other reason he would do anything for Cesare.

"Ah, I see you have healed nicely, Lanz." Cesare said as Lanz walked into his dining room.

"Enough with the chat, Borgia. What's my mission here?" Lanz folded his arms in disgust.

"Please, sit…"

"I mean no disrespect, but I am not here for your hospitality, Cesare. I simply want to know what I am doing, so I can get it done." The Borgia simply sat across from him, silently and peacefully.

"Please," he said more firmly this time, "sit." Lanz shut his mouth and sat across from the general, just as silent as the other. "There is a group of rogue Templars scavenging nearby countries. I want you to form your own team, find them and locate what they are looking for. I would do it myself, but I have my own problems to deal with." he sighed, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Do you know what they are looking for?" Lanz replied, trying hard not to get distracted by different art around the room.

"Oh yes, Lanz. I do." he grinned, pulling out a strange glowing spherical object. It immediately entrapped Lanz. He wanted it, he wished he could have something so powerful. So many questions flooded his head, but he knew better than to ask, except one. Lanz grinned mischievously, a glimmer of madness in his eye.

"When do I start?"

Announcement:

Hello my readers! I hope you are still here. This is clearly the first release of Manhunt: Brotherhood. I really do hope you like it. The next addition of Atronia will be out soon. I'm just having a bit of trouble with the plot and a few other details. I hope this fills in the time for that and I'll get The Other Ancestor 2 (disclaimer: that is not going to be the title) out soon! Thanks again for reading and feel free to leave reviews and what not. Melvick out.


	2. Chapter 2

Rome was stunning. Sebastian wished that Lanz would explore it more, but obviously, the footpad knew it much more than he did and constantly passed beautiful architecture that Sebastian had always desperately wanted to see. It was refreshing even to Sebastian to be out in the clear air. The Borgia's castle had been stuffy and warm. The air outside was cooler and clearer.

Lanz walked significantly quicker than most of the people in the streets, so he was constantly swerving and nearly running into people. His gaze shifted upwards to the roof of a building where a hooded figure stood watching the street below. He immediately ducked his head.

"Crap." he muttered to himself while walking even faster, "Those blasted assassins are everywhere." Not only Cesare's rogue Templars, but the Assassin Brotherhood had become a major problem for Lanz.

He made his way deeper into the core of the city. He knew exactly where he was going, but he also knew it was possibly a trap. Lanz vaguely looked over his shoulder to see the hooded figure had leaped off the building and had begun to follow him. He turned, muttering Italian curses to himself while the lady next to him gave him a glare.

Soon, he was walking straight towards his target. He could see it from where he stood, so close. He turned to see the hooded figure walking fast, beginning to jog slightly. Lanz did the same. These assassins weren't going to catch him, not today. He took a sharp right into an alleyway, sprinting once he was out of sight. He took another left and he heard the footsteps of the assassin echo down the lane. The hooded man reached the four-way intersection, back to Lanz. The footpad smiled, moved forward and tapped the assassin on the shoulder. He quickly turned, hood flying off. Lanz didn't hesitate to punch his lights out. Lanz only killed if it was necessary.

Grabbing him by the arms, he pulled him to a more discreet area. He hurried away from the scene towards his target, Fabiola Cavazza. She was in plain sight as if awaiting his arrival.

"Hello, Lanz." she greeted, playing with a string of dark brown hair.

"Please, don't make this more complicated than it has to be, Cavazza," he started, "I need your help." he hesitated from calling her a foul name. He may not have been overfond of the courtesan, but she was helpful enough when it came to these kinds of matters.

"Help? That's odd." she smiled, unfurling her bladed fan and waving a small breeze at her face.

Cocky witch. Lanz thought to himself, rolling his eyes at her and letting out an exasperated sigh. Her grin became wicked. It seemed to be Fabiola's goal to constantly make everyone frustrated, and she succeeded because she always frustrated Lanz. He began to debate as to whether he should've come to her.

"I can't imagine, the footpad coming to me for help, Dio Mio." she placed a hand on her chest, becoming more and more dramatic with every word. Lanz pinched the bridge of his nose, becoming tempted to throw one of his knives at her.

"Listen, this job is a highly-"

"Lanz! Please! Relax, we are in a high-pressure world. Come inside-" Lanz immediately lost it, pinning Fabiola against the wall holding a short dagger up to her throat.

"Enough of this! Will you help me, or will you not?" he snapped, a fierce ferocity glimmering in his brown eyes. "I don't have time for your stupid games, Cavazza." For once in her life, Fabiola was shocked. She immediately raised her fan as a reflex, but Lanz grabbed it and held it against the wall.

This was getting stranger by the moment. Last time she'd seen Lanz, things had been so simple. She wondered what happened to him since then. He'd hardened like a soldier after a war. She noticed a new scar on his face, it was fresh.

"If you let me go, I may help you." she tried to keep up the character, but Lanz saw the fear glisten in her eyes. A smile twitched on the side of his mouth and he slowly released his grip, expecting the tensity to leave her shoulders. She stayed tense and gripped her fan tightly. "What is the problem?"

"Simple. There is a group of rogue Templars north of here. They are trying to find an artifact. Messere Borgia wants me-" he stopped himself, "...us to find it." He gave the courtesan a moment to think.

"What's in it for me?" she said, playing with her cuticles, dodging any possible eye contact.

"This is a job from the Borgia," he laughed. She glanced up at him, "you'll be paid handsomely." Fabiola considered this offer momentarily, glared at him once more, then held out her hand for him to shake.

"I guess I am in," she muttered, "but no more threatening, alright?" Lanz nodded, giving her one last smile before walking away. He stopped himself.

"Fabiola?" he turned once more. "Do you know of anyone else I could recruit?" Lanz knew that she had all the information in Rome in that messed up head of hers. She considered his question momentarily.

"If you head to the docks today, you may catch a certain man before his ship leaves for Venezia."

"A name?" he asked.

"He owns no name, at least to us. He goes by Il Lupo. Be careful, Lanz. This man is almost as dangerous as I." she smiled, opened her fan, waved a breeze towards herself and walked away.

Lanz found his way slowly to the docks, in no rush whatsoever. Before she'd left, Fabiola had given him a brief description of the man called Il Lupo. It wasn't that hard to spot him from the crowd, however, this man was as Fabiola mentioned, dangerous. His outer appearance didn't seem dangerous, but Lanz was observant, he saw the hidden blade on his wrist and the knife bulging in his dark-colored cloaks. He would have to use stealth against his hopeful ally.

Before approaching, Lanz took a moment more to see if he could find any more hidden weapons. He took into account the group of guards far to the right. He considered the best way to approach as well. Knife to the throat? Yelling his name? Eventually, the right idea came to his head. Deception was necessary.

He got off of the bench he was sitting on and made his way over to the man, fingering his dagger that sat cold in his sheath. The man stood staring at the men loading his luggage onto the ship.

"Il Lupo?" he said, a few feet away from him still. Lupo slowly turned his head towards him, "I don't want any violence, messere."

"Neither do I, kid," a light silvery voice came from the hood, surprising Lanz. He expected this man to have a rough gravelly tone, but it seemed the opposite, "so I suggest you get out of here before any starts."

"Pardon me, Lupo…"

"Look, if you're gonna address me, do it by a different name, kid. I'm a wanted man." he snapped, glancing at a group of guards who took particular interest in their conversation. Lanz grinned, folding his arms.

"If you talk with me you won't have to worry," he said, raising his eyebrows. Lupo's eyes narrowed, frowning slightly.

"Are they with you?"

"Not necessarily," Lanz replied, "but if I told them who I worked for, we'd be fine." Lupo glanced at the guards then back to Lanz. He nodded. "Walk with me." They started down the road staying silent for a couple of moments.

"So," Lupo started, "what do you want from me, kid?"

"For you to stop calling me kid, first of all, you're not much older than me." Lanz grimaced, "I prefer my name, which is Lanz." Lupo seemed exasperated.

"Just spit it out!"

"Fine, I am forming a group to capture an artifact," he explained. The comment seemed to catch his attention, "I was told you could help me out." He looked hesitant, looking back down the path they had been walking down.

"I don't know, Lanz. I have a free ticket out of Rome, where I am widely wanted." he sighed. Lanz was about to speak when Lupo quickly interrupted, "Listen, I'll think about it. My ship does not leave until tomorrow now and I have time. Where are you planning on meeting?"

Lanz took a moment to think, "The Colosseo, at midday."

"Good," he said, "If I am there, I am there. If not, find someone else." Lupo hurriedly walked away, leaving Lanz disappointed and not knowing where to go next. Who else was there in Rome? What a dumb question, he should've known. He walked around looking for wanted signs, chased robbers, anything that meant potential ally.

He strolled the city, keeping watch with a keen eye, hoping something would show up. The sun was at its peak in the sky and he knew his time was limited. All of a sudden there was a tap on his shoulder. He whipped around, hand on his dagger.

"Pardon me, messere. Cesare wants you." the man quickly said before Lanz held a dagger to his throat. A nervous feeling made Lanz's stomach go haywire. He gulped.

"Sí…" he hesitated, "I will go see him immediately." The man quickly disappeared, leaving Lanz even more disappointed and even more troubled than before, which he was not fond of. He made his way to the meeting place Cesare had ordained as theirs and waited patiently for the general to arrive.

"Ah, Lanz, I am glad you could make it." Cesare appeared from around the corner.

"What choice did I have?" Lanz muttered, leaning against a pillar. Cesare chuckled, though Lanz wasn't really making a joke.

"So, how is your recruitment going?" he wondered, folding his arms across his chest in an authoritative manner.

"Not as well as originally planned," Lanz replied hesitantly, not wanting to enrage his employer.

"No problem, no problem at all! I have a possible ally for you." he smiled. Lanz looked surprisedly up at him. "What, Lanz? Did you think I would leave you hanging?" The footpad bit the inside of his lip, making sure not to reply sharply.

"So," he started, changing the subject, "who is this ally?"

"I have called for you to meet him near the Pantheon. You will have my own escorts scouting your arrival." Lanz stepped aside, waving his hands in refusal.

"Grazie, Cesare, but I have no need for any kind of escort," he said. He was perfectly aware of his capabilities and he didn't need his employer doubting them. Cesare raised an eyebrow, then nodded in agreement, holding out a hand for him to shake. Lanz hesitantly took it. He assumed Cesare would do something violent, but nothing happened.

"Perfect." the Borgia replied, a slight smirk forming on his snake-like face. He knew he was intimidating Lanz, and that was his rightful state in any conversation. It was his nature. "The man you are meeting with is a mercenary named Roco Tiepolo. He is friendly in nature, however, do not be too aggressive. Using too much force will be fatal."

Lanz thanked Cesare again and left for the Pantheon. Upon arrival, he saw no one except a couple of minstrels, courtesans, and pedestrians making their daily walk through the city. Assuming that the mercenary was late, he slumped onto the ground and leaned against a pillar. He took out his knife and played with it absentmindedly.

A few moments passed until a tall bulky man came strutting towards him. He quickly sheathed his knife, remembering Cesare's words. The man seemed slightly irritated at his tardiness, yet he came up to Lanz with a joyous twinge in his tone.

"Ah, you must be Lanz!" he said excitedly. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

Holy CHEESE! AAAAAAH! Lemme tell you about exams, yeesh. Guys, I am SO sorry! I have been so distracted lately and totally not motivated. Now, it is 11:00 p.m. and I've had a sudden burst of motivation to finish at least this 1 chapter of Manhunt: Brotherhood for you. You guys have no idea how bad I feel. I honestly have no excuse except that I've been playing a ton of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag multiplayer… Yeah… Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter (if you're still here, that is) and I hope I kept it interesting enough. I don't have a super strong plot with this one, so it'll probably be random in some places. A new chapter of Prisoners of Rome should be coming soon. I'm not sure how soon exactly, but sooner hopefully than later. Again, I am EXTREMELY SORRY! I can't imagine what you guys are thinking. I'll try to see if I can be more consistent. Anyway, Melvick out.


	3. Chapter 3

Sebastian struggled for a moment. This Roco Tiepolo looked familiar. Lanz didn't notice and continued on with the conversation. Sebastian, however, couldn't seem to place his face. Was he famous in history? Had he met him? Wait no… That's not possible.

Or had he? Sebastian began to notice similar facial features between him and this German man he had met before entering the Animus.

"So, you are Roco Tiepolo?" Lanz interrupted Sebastian's thoughts.

"Indeed, I am. I hear you are hiring, my friend. For what job, may I ask?" he smiled, placing an arm around his shoulder as a friendly gesture. Lanz tensed up. He wasn't one for violation of personal space, especially by a built mercenary.

"It is a… a…" he wiggled his way out of his grasp, "a tracking sort of job. We are trying to find a secret artifact before a different of Templars do." Roco let him go, smirking behind his back.

"Ah, I see. Will it involve travel?" he asked. Lanz refrained from giving him a strange look. He figured as a mercenary he'd be traveling much, but gave him a straight answer.

"I suppose so, yes."

Roco nodded again, a smile forming on his face. "Hmm, mhm…" he delved deeper into his thoughts, leaving the footpad to stand there waiting for an answer. Lanz looked away for a moment, then looked back as the mercenary began to speak again.

"Aye! It sounds like quite an adventure, does it not?" he laughed, placing an arm on Lanz's shoulder again, "I will help you." Relief spread through Lanz's shoulders as the words fell from Roco's mouth.

"Grazie, Roco. You have no idea how much easier it will become with your help." this mercenary's bright attitude was making Lanz happier. Lanz wasn't a generally happy person, so it was odd to have someone who could teach him otherwise.

"Ah, no problem, mio amico! I am happy to help! When should I meet you?" Lanz stood frozen for a moment. Not one person in his life had been this kind to him.

"The Colosseo, tomorrow at midday. I suggest you'll be there before I am." he attempted to sound like an intimidating leader but failed as Roco sized him up. He was the smaller of the two, but if he were to lead this group he intended to be respected. Roco smiled a bit, then nodded.

"I will see you there." with that, the mercenary walked away. Lanz's shoulders fell as the tension lifted from them. They became petrified again as a chill went down his spine. He knew this feeling and it wasn't one he was rather fond of. Someone was watching him. He didn't aspire to know who and walked away.

He continued his search by scanning wanted posters. Most of them were for the assassin, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Lanz only assumed that's what Cesare meant by "his own problems". The next most common wanted poster was for one Lia de Russo, infamous smuggler. He wondered if she was still in Rome. He concluded that she had left and moved on, the chills crawling back into his spine. He snatched the sign from the wall and continued moving.

As he walked further into the heart of the city, more and more gazes were drawn towards him. Something was off. Lanz slowed his pace, blending with a group of people. He hoped this would confuse the person watching him, but he was unsuccessful. The chills refused to go away and with that he took off running, shoving multiple people aside in the process. He found himself on the border between the city and the farmland of Rome.

Cursing, he realized the mistake he had made. Almost a moment after, he noticed the chills had gone. Lanz turned around to see no one in the alley. Breathing a sigh of relief, he walked back a different route, hoping not to feel the anxiety again.

To Lanz's dismay, the sun began to sink in the sky. Thinking all hope was lost, he began to make his way back to the Vatican.

He was halfway there when he began to hear the clanging of swords. He began to follow the trail until he saw a group of assassins fighting a familiar looking woman. As citizens fled the scene, he uncrumpled the wanted poster, remembering why she looked so familiar.

'Lia de Russo - Wanted Dead or Alive'

Lanz noticed that this poster wasn't issued by the Borgia guard. He studied who the woman was fighting. Assassins. He should've known. Lanz abandoned the poster, pulling out his dagger. He rushed forward, grabbing one of the assassins from the back and drove his blade into his side.

Lia noticed that she had an ally and took advantage, grabbing someone and throwing him at Lanz. After performing this and distracting everyone, she took off into the ancient ruins. Two of the four assassins followed her, while one was on top of Lanz and the other remained ready to attack.

"Blast!" Lanz shouted, shoving the assassin off of him. He got up and an instant after, his opponent was on him. He only just dodged the assassin's war hammer and took his chance to bolt after Lia. He knew it would be impossible to outrun the assassins, but he needed Lia on his side.

After one turn, he followed chaos that Lia had left in her wake. A fallen citizen or a toppled table led him in her direction. He heard yells behind him as well, meaning the assassins weren't far either.

Then he saw her green-colored hood not far away. She turned a sharp corner, disappearing into a hay bale. Cursing to himself, Lanz slowed his pace, allowing the assassins to catch up to him. Once they were on his tail, he veered towards a wall and flipped over them. He removed his blade from its sheath and took down one, the other waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

All of a sudden, a pair of eyes fell on Lanz. Yes, many citizens watched the fight but a particular pair, the same that had given him chills before. It distracted him from the fight and he looked to his right to find the source of the eyes. To break him out of his thoughts, the second assassin kicked him in the chest. Lanz fell back with a grunt, the ground violently knocked the air from his chest. With a raise of his sword, his opponent prepared the final blow. Before he could, a hidden figure struck from behind. The assassin fell to the ground before him, Lia de Russo standing just a few feet away, her hidden blade dripping with blood.

She held out her hand and helped him up.

"Graz-"

"We do not have time for small talk, we should leave here." Lia interrupted his thanks, swiveling around and making her way towards an alley on the opposite side of the street. Stunned, Lanz followed a few seconds after. Once he caught up, she said,

"And there is no need to thank me, footpad. You saved me as well."

Lanz nodded. Lia appeared to be a serious character. This bode well for Lanz's mission. He still felt the eyes piercing his skull, but he felt a bit safer with Lia who was clearly a skilled fighter.

"So, why were you looking for me?" Lia wondered once they had found a more private spot. She raised an eyebrow at him when he didn't reply. He attempted to suppress a shudder but was unsuccessful, and he shivered in front of Lia. Instead of acting confused or laughing, she grinned.

"You feel it too, eh?" Lanz said. Lia agreed, shrugging it off.

"I do, but I have a feeling it is not assassins."

"How do you know that?"

"I have a client here in Roma who likes to keep a close eye on me in case I misbehave," she smirked, gazing around the clearing.

 _Then why would he be watching me?_ Lanz supposed word had gotten around that he was looking for potential candidates.

"Who?"

"Malfatto, a doctor who buys poison personally from me." Lia advised, her gaze moving back to him, "So, footpad, why were you trying to find me?"

"I am forming a team to find an artifact. That is a majority of what I can tell you besides that it is a race. We are trying to find it before two other groups; the assassins and a group of rogue Templars. What do you say? I have three other templar candidates."

Lia considered for a moment, stroking her chin then running her fingers through her long brown hair.

"Does it pay well?"

"This job was given to me by Cesare Borgia himself. I should think it does." Lanz replied. Lia's mouth twitched and held out her hand.

"Okay, I will help you. Maybe you can get the price on my head removed before I leave Rome." Lanz took her hand gratefully and told her where to meet the following day.

"Is there anyone you suggest I should hire for this?" Lanz asked before she took off. Her answer caused more chills to slide through Lanz.

"There is no one better than my client, Malfatto," she motioned behind him with a nod. Even before Lanz turned, he knew the doctor was standing behind him. He turned to see a tall man covered head-to-toe in clothing. Even his face, covered with a metal plague mask. He turned back to say goodbye to Lia, probably forever, but she had disappeared.

Hey all! I've been working more and more on both of my books (this and Prisoners of Rome). It's been a pretty slow process, but alas, school is busy, my friends. I'll see what I can do over next weekend, but there's no guarantees. Technically, I could've uploaded this a long time ago, but I didn't think I was done with the chapter… Either way, I hope you enjoyed this one! I'm thinking hard about adding a new fan-fiction of a different franchise into my Google Drive, but we'll have to see. If you think I can improve, tell me! Hope to see you guys soon, Melvick out. (Also, go Brewers for MLB playoffs!)

Melvick462


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